US Drone Strike Kills al-Shabab Militants in Somalia

A US drone strike has killed several al-Shabab militants in southern Somalia, officials tell VOA.

The U.S. Africa Command says the strike on Wednesday killed four "terrorists" near Jamaame in Lower Juba region in the south. The statement says the US assesses no civilians were killed.

The U.S. carried out more than 30 drone strikes previous year in Somalia after President Donald Trump approved expanded military efforts against al-Shabab. "It was carried out by USA drone, helping our intelligence forces on the ground", a Somali government official told VOA Somali on the condition of anonymity.

The U.S. military has carried out dozens of airstrikes against al-Shabab and Islamic State militants in support of Somalia's federal government.

The al-Shabab extremist group is blamed for the October truck bombing in the capital, Mogadishu, that killed 512 people.